Mysuru: Indian chocolate-maker The Campco Limited (Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Co-operative) has come forward to manufacture jackfruit chocolate and biscuits, said Indian Horticulture Research Institute Director Dr. M.R. Dinesh, here yesterday. 

Speaking after releasing the book Halasu Bidisidaga at the inauguration of the two-day Jackfruit Mela jointly organised by Sahaja Samrudha and Rotary Club of Mysore West at Nanjaraja Bahadur Choultry, he said that the institute had taken measures to improve economic condition of jackfruit growers and also to make the fruit a profit yielding crop.

Adding that plans had been chalked out to promote jackfruit cultivation, Dr. Dinesh said that there were about 150 varieties of jackfruit available in the State and a majority of them had been preserved. 

“The institute has been grafting a rare variety of jackfruit that was identified at a farm in Tumakuru,” he said. 

Stating the jackfruit was grown in abundance at the Western Ghats, Dr. Dinesh said that ‘Siddu Halasu’, a rare variety of jackfruit was in great demand and the farmer, who is cultivating the variety, had been earning around Rs. 7-8 lakh every year.

Inaugurating the event, Rotary Mysore District Governor Joseph Mathew spoke about the medicinal values of jackfruit and how it grew naturally without the use of any fertilisers and manure. 

Later, Herehalli Farm Head Dr. G. Karunakaran and farmer Heggavadipura Shivakumaraswamy spoke on the topic Halasu Nettu, Bara Attu to create awareness on the importance and speciality of jackfruit. 

Organic farmer Shivanapura Ramesh, Jaivik Krushik Institute Hon. President Dr. K. Ramakrishnappa, Sahaja Samrudha Institute President N.R. Shetty, University of Agriculture, Bengaluru Professor Dr. S. Shyamala Reddy and others were present.